ABSTRACT
Arterial and venous thrombosis are major causes of morbidity and mortality. Whereas arterial
thrombosis is the most common cause of myocardial infarction, stroke, and limb gangrene,
venous thrombosis can be complicated by pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal, and by
postphlebitic syndrome. Because arterial thrombi consist of platelet aggregates held together by
small amounts of fibrin, strategies to inhibit arterial thrombogenesis focus mainly on drugs that
block platelet function, but often include anticoagulants to prevent fibrin deposition. In contrast,
anticoagulants are the drugs of choice for prevention of cardioembolic events. Anticoagulants
are also used for prevention and treatment of venous thrombosis because venous thrombi
comprise mainly fibrin and red blood cells. Focusing on new anticoagulant drugs for the
prevention and treatment of arterial and venous thrombosis, this chapter (1) reviews arterial and
venous thrombogenesis, (2) outlines new anticoagulant strategies, and (3) provides clinical
perspective as to which new strategies have the greatest chance of success.
